New BYD Seal undercuts Tesla Model 3 price as it boasts 800V powertrain and LiDAR for the first time

When Uber announced that it will be ordering 100,000 BYD electric cars for its global fleet just as rental giants like Hertz are divesting off their own Tesla EVs, the move may have raised some eyebrows.

The new BYD Seal sedan refresh that was just unveiled, however, tells volumes as to why global rental fleets may have found a new EV darling.

First off, even the most expensive 2025 BYD Seal AWD costs the equivalent of $33,460, or just a grand more than the cheapest RWD Tesla Model 3 in China with the shortest range. It doesn't come as a surprise that BYD can beat Tesla's price range since it is a vertically integrated manufacturer that makes its own batteries, but its sedan also excels in the specifications' comparison.

All four new Seal versions are built with a modern 800V powertrain and on BYD's latest e-Platform 3.0 Evo platform for faster charging and optimized efficiency. Even the top Tesla Model 3 Performance trim, on the other hand, still uses the aging 400V powertrain.

The top 2025 BYD AWD trim, as well as one RWD model, now even have LiDAR for the first time on a BYD vehicle, as they also come with the automaker'sDiPilot 300 self-driving system. It offers point-to-point navigation on both highway and city roads, similar to Tesla's FSD option that only relies on camera input.

The 2025 Seals offer up to 650 km (404 miles) CLTC range from up to 80.64 kWh battery capacity and 0-62 mph acceleration in 3.8 seconds for the top AWD model. That is a bit slower than the 3.1 seconds that the Model 3 Performance is capable of at, however, a 40% higher price.

In fact, even the cheapest $24,500 RWD BYD Seal that undercuts the base Model 3 RWD price by 30%, can accelerate faster than the most affordable Tesla trim. For $2,000 more, or 20% less than the cheapest Model 3, one can also get a BYD Seal with longer range on a charge, too.

The 650 km (404 miles) of range cited, are, of course, on the Chinese CLTC cycle that is currently the most generous when compared to the EPA ratings by a magnitude of at least 25%. That largely explains the drastic difference in range with what is listed for Tesla in the US.

In any case, the 2025 BYD Seal is shaping up to be better and cheaper than anything that Tesla can throw at it in China, and that may widen the sales gap between the two there even further.

Get the Tesla Universal Wall Connector EV Charger with Dual Plug on Amazon

The above is the detailed content of New BYD Seal undercuts Tesla Model 3 price as it boasts 800V powertrain and LiDAR for the first time. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!